THE LAST P-DAY/FULL WEEK

December 8, 2014

         Wow, today was a great last p-day on my mission! We got all of our errands finished in the morning.  Carlos bought dear, sweet Josefa here so we could have lunch together, and then he drove us home with our groceries so we didn’t have to walk 20 minutes home in the blistering sun!  We said our hard goodbyes and then we went to the internet café, which miraculously was open and we only had to wait a few minutes to use a computer!  PLUS – the connection was fast. Fast internet = happy Sister Colvin.  I loved my emails today especially my Mom’s “post mission memes”, so funny.  I sure hope that my family has a lot of patience with me, because I am gonna be WEIRD.

Christmas conference! Sooooo good. The whole mission was there!

Lovely faces at the Christmas Conference

December 10, 2014

         Wow, I haven’t had time to write this week.  Yesterday was our Christmas conference with our entire mission!  188 missionaries gathered together in one place.  President, as always, went all out, and the decorations/training/food was just perfect.  Aside from the expected “repent you sinning missionaries!” and “you should be baptizing every week!” speeches, it was wonderful.  About 1.3 of the mission has been working on a Christmas choir presentation and it actually sounds pretty good!  They have been going around to different cities in the past few weeks and have had great missionary opportunities.  The presentation talked about the Book of Mormon, Christ, Mary, etc.  It is all centered on how the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. It is hard to describe, but it is very touching and made many of us cry. 

Lovely faces at the Christmas Conference

Elder Siebers always gets the most GIGANTIC packages!

More Christmas fun--with our ADORABLE senior couple!!!

A mission is so psychologically trying.  One minute you feel the Spirit, and you are working well in your area, and the next minute people try to make you feel guilty even though you have nothing to be guilty about.  You aren’t giving enough or you aren’t applying teaching techniques well enough, etc. I take everything with a grain of salt and let most things just roll off my back.  I try to take with me the spirit and intent behind these crazy trainings – that we should always be trying a little harder to be a little better.  At this stage of my mission I feel strong spiritually, mentally, emotionally, but for some (like my companion), certain trainings can be debilitating. 
 

President and Sister Cabral

But all complaints and concerns aside, I love President Cabral and I know that he loves all of us.  He treats us with the utmost care, compassion, and respect.  Yes, he gets a little crazy and fired up during training, but he is a wonderful man whom I love and respect very much. 

My only North American companion in Brazil - Sister Burris

 I bore my last testimony in the mission in front of the entire mission – it was interesting because most of the missionaries going home this transfer, cried and were very sad, didn’t want to leave the mission, and didn’t know what they were going to do post mission, etc.  I felt completely calm, happy, and at peace.  I know that the Lord accepts my imperfect efforts. I know that I have been an instrument in His hands to help these people. I have given it my best, day after day after day.  When my best wasn’t good enough, He strengthened me.  The Atonement makes up for the imperfections in my performance. With Dad’s cancer diagnosis, I went through some of the hardest trials of my life – feeling stalled, alone, and empty.  But the Lord, the great Master of my mission, got me back on my tired, sunburned feet.  He was my constant companion and friend, and He filled me with his love and understanding.

We held a funeral service with Zona Itaguaí! It was very funny, and all of the Elders played along really well :)

December 11, 2014

         Wow, this week is flying by!  We had zone training this morning and afterwards we held my “funeral.”  It is a funny/weird way that missionaries have of saying goodbye to those who are leaving the mission field.  We filmed the whole thing (30 minutes) – dramatic sad music, the viewing processional, opening remarks, a hymn, eulogy, and then every elder and sister paid their tributes.  They said really funny things all while wailing and throwing themselves on the ground and such.  Most of it only makes sense in Portuguese. I is a good emotional release for missionaries.

         Today was so HOT….109.4!  It is just the kind of heat that wipes you out without even doing anything.  Right now it is 10:10 pm and still it is 86 degrees.  But, aside from the heat, we had a few good lessons today.  N. is progressing really well! She is 67, years old, very well educated, and fairly well off, but she is also very humble and eager to learn.  She is having some great spiritual experiences and answers to prayers. It is so exciting to help someone learn to recognize and follow the Spirit. She accepted the invitation for baptism but has not selected a specific date yet. 

         We also had a great lesson with R. and J.  He is a recent convert and we had a good time with an interactive lesson that they seemed to like a lot.

December 12, 2014

         Today was so HOT – 102.2!  On our way to lunch we got an air-conditioned van to get relief from the heat, EXCEPT – the air conditioning was broken.  Imagine 45 minutes with 20 stinky sweaty people in a van with ALL of the windows and door closed.  It was incredibly hot and humid.  People started taking their shirts off (men and women alike) and it was just yet another Brazilian experience to check off my list. 
December 13, 2014
A few of the ward members held a going away party for me. It was raining hard so there weren't very many people, but the cake was good!

December 14, 2014
Remember Mario and Beatriz and their daughter, Rafaela?!!? And Pricilla and Anderson????!!!  Mario and Rafa were baptized by Anderson (RC), and presidente let me go and watch their baptism. It was the BEST and kindest last present!

December 15, 2014
          I am so STINKIN EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL ON THE 18TH!  It will be the BEST Christmas ever!

NOTE from the transcriptionist/Mom - This has been an interesting, challenging, and enriching experience for me for the past 18 months.  Though I will miss this unique form of interaction with my daughter, I am sure looking forward to the reunion and to seeing what the future holds for Taylor! (I am also looking forward to cutting my transcription load to just the two Elder Colvin blogs.)